Typewriter margin justifier



g 1944- J. s. EDISON 2,355,284;

TYPEWRITER MARGIN JUSTIFIER Filed Sept. 12, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR: J/m LST [aura/v Aug. 8, 1944. 2,355,284

J. S. EDISON TYPEWRITER MARGIN JUSTIFIER Filed Sept. 12. 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR. Y Joy v \YZ b/JO/Y,

Patented Aug. 8, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 11 Claims.

This invention relates to carriage feeding mechanism for typewriters and other key operated printing machines, and has particular reference to improvements in the right margin justifying means disclosed in Patent No. 2,303,686, issued to me on December 1, 1942, of which the present application is a continuation in part,

The object of this invention is to provide on a typewriter or other such printing machine a justifylng mechanism of great simplicity, adaptability, convenience of adjustment and ease of operation, A further object is to provide a device which may be readily embodied in or attached to any one of the typewriters incommon use at the present time without change or modification of construction. Another object is the provision of a device which may be used on typewriters fitted with any length of carriage without structural changes or modifications.

A still further object is the provision of a device adapted to justify one or more columns of any desired width, each of which may be placed in any desired position along the printing line, and which employs the same simple method of operation in all cases. Another object is to provide a device which may be used on typewriters of different length of letter spac'ing without structural changes or modifications.

The foregoing objects as well as the many important novel features of my invention are embodied in the structure hereinafter fully described and illustrated in the appended drawings, of which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the rear, right top corner of a typewriter, showing the device of my invention mounted thereon;

Fig. 2 is a plan view, on a larger scale, of the portions of the typewriter illustrated in Fig. 1,

with the device of the invention attached thereto as it appears when adjusted for the justifying operation;

Fig. 3 is an inverted view of the right end of the typewriter carriage with the device of the inventlon attached thereto, and part of the device is shown broken away in order to disclose the interior mechanism thereof;

Fig. 4 shows the device removed from the carriage and with parts broken away for the sake of cleamess;

Fig. 5 is a front elevational view of my device as it appears when detached from the typewriter; and

Figs. '6 to 9 illustrate details of mechanisms the importance of which will beapprehended upon perusal of the following description.

The device of my invention is, for the purpose of this description, shown mounted on the commercially well known L. C. Smith typewriter, 01" which the numeral l denotes the right carriage end, and the numeral 2 gives a general outline of the part of the typewriter frame on which the carriage is mounted.

A bracket 3 is suitably fastened to the carriage end, in spaced relation thereto, in order to clear the various levers which are mounted thereon but which, because commercially well known, are not illustrated in the drawings. In mounting this bracket which, for convenience of description, may be termed the adapter of the device, advantage is taken of holes already found in the carriage end. To this end, the rear end of the adapter is perforated to receive the screw 4, see Fig. 3, which ties the carriage end to the main frame thereof, and a sleeve 5 is added in order properly to space the adapter away therefrom. The front end of the adapter is shown bent at 3 and it is there perforated to receive the screw 6, which holds the lower platen scale I of the typewriter in position on the carriage. But other convenient means of mounting the adapter on the carriage end may be substituted.

The device of the invention is mounted on this adapter bracket, and it comprises a shallow, boxshaped, rectangular cover [0, which is shown attached by means of screws l l, as best shown in Fig. 3. Within this cover are parallel guide rails l2, in which a plate It is seated to slide, and to one of these rails is shown attached resilient spacers l5. Screws it are seated in the flange of the cover and are threaded into the guide rails for correctly adjusting the latter relative to the plate, so as to prevent play thereof in the guides. As best shown in Fig. 3, an extension I5 is fastened to the end of the escapement rack Ill, and the threaded end of this entension is mounted in a flange M of the slide it by means of threaded nuts [8.

As fully explained in said copending application, it is one of the important features of the invention that the escapement rack is mounted for longitudinal sliding movement relative to the carriage. Because the escapement rack usually is fastened to the carriage framing by means of screws it is, for the purpose of the present invention, merely required to elongate the holes in the rack in which these screws are seated. This feature is illustrated in Fig. 6, where the rack is shown made with a slot H, in which such fastening screw I9 is seated. As this feature is common to most justifying devices, it is not thought necessary further to elaborate thereon.

A lever 20 is shown pivotally mounted on the underside of the cover ID by means of a bolt or rivet 2|, and it extends through a slot lin the front flange of the cover. A member 22 is mounted for lengthwise sliding movement on this lever in a suitable manner, as will be described presently, and this member is fitted with a roller 23, which rides in an inclined guide N of the slide. The length of the slot I0 is calculated to afford the lever swinging movement on each side of the perpendicular, the positions taken by the lever in Fig. 3 indicating the extremes of movement. A spring 21 normally maintains this lever in the position shown in full outline in Figs. 3 and 4.

It is seen that the slide it is moved in its guide rails when the lever is swung from full line position to the position shown in dotted outline in Fig. 3. It is also to be noted that the movement of the slide decreases as the member 22 is moved to carry th roller 23 toward the pivotal point 2i. It is furthermore seen that no move ment is imparted to the slide when the roller reaches a position in axial alinment with the pivot 2 I. The last named position is indicated in Fig. 4. Further movement, beyond the pivotal point, causes the slide to move in the opposite direction during such lever movement. Obviously, these movements are imparted to the escapement rack H for the purpose of right margin justification, but because no movement is transmitted while the roller and pivot remain axially alined, normal operation of the typewriter is not interfered with. This position is, for this reason, conveniently termed neutral position.

As indicated in Fig. 2, the lever 20 is made with notches 20 for receiving a detent 22 of the member 22. These notches are shown numbored I to H and the central notch, designated by the numeral 6, represents this neutral position. As shown in the drawings, a handle 24 is fastened to the end of the member 22 and it is slotted to straddle the lever 20, thereby to maintain the member in position along the underside of the lever. The member 22 is, at the roller 23, for convenience of illustration and description, shown made with ears 22 which overlap the edges of the lever to maintain the inner end of the member in position on the lever. A plunger 25 is seated in a socket of the handle 24, see Fig. '7, and a spring 26 maintains this plunger pressed against the edge of the lever. In view of this, it is seen that the handle may be pressed toward the edge of the lever, against the tension of the spring 26, to withdraw the detent from its notch, whereupon the detent may be moved to seat in any other desired notch. Because the ears 22 are shown placed substantially in line with the roller 23, and preferably should be in line therewith, it is seen that the inner end of the member 22 is afforded sufficient freedom of swinging movement on these cars to permit of such lateral shifting to change the position of the member in the notches. For convenience, the combined parts 20 and 22 may be termed the justifying lever of the device. v

Let it be assumed that it is desired to' provide a justified copy of a typed sheet and that the difference between the shortest and longest lines of this sheet is seven spaces. Let it further be assumed that the end of the first line is midway between the longest and shortest lines. It is found that this line length is most desirable for neutral position because the longer and shorter lines become evenly justified therefrom. The member 22 is, for this reason, moved to seat the detent in the notch 6, which represents neutral position, in which the normal letter spacing of the machine is not disturbed, and the line may be typed without paying further attention to the device of the invention.

The next following line may be three spaces shorter, making it necessary to increase the letter spacing in order to even the margin. To this end, it is merely required to move the detent until it seats in the notch 3. Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2, it is noticed that a cord 30 extends from a. point 31 on the main frame to the outer end of the lever 20, and that this cord is bent over a pulley 28 of the lever. It is also noticed that a series of notches lfl are cut into the edge of the front cover flange and that, as shown in Fig. 2, the cord passes from the pulley through one of these notches. In order to fix the cord in this manner, it is first necessary to return the carriage until it is arrested against the left margin stop of the typewriter. The justifying lever is then manually swung into the position of Fig. 2, against the tension of the spring 21, and the cord pulled taut, whereupon it is hooked around a clip 29 to maintain it tightly stretched. It is to be noted that th justifying lever, in this position, is axially alined with the inclined guide it and it is the position in which it is most convenient to shift the member 22 on the lever.

The typing of the line may now commence, and it is found that the cord gradually becomes slackened as the carriage moves to permit the lever to swing back into normal position, during which movement the second line is lengthened to even up the margin. This simple operation may now be repeated in order to justify each succeeding line, the member 22 being set on the lever each time as required, until the whole sheet is copied.

It is noticedthat the cord is tied to a pin 32 of the machine frame, and that the head of this pin is held yieldingly drawn against the side of the machine by a spring 33. This feature is introduced in order to make certain that the cord becomes and remains tightly stretched while being secured in the clip 29. For further assurance, it may be found good practice, after the carriage has been returned, to depress the space bar to cause the carriage to move one step. When thereupon the cord is drawn taut and secured in the clip and the carriage again returned this one step, the operator may be confident that the cord is tightly stretched, as it must be in order to function correctly.

The device of the invention may be proportioned to justify over any length of line found in typewriters in commercial use but, following the practice adopted in type setting machines, it is in the present disclosure designed to justify over a line of fifty five spaces. Where the printing line is longer, it is merely found that the cord becomes increasingly slackened but, after the lever has reached normal position at the end of the fifty five space justifying period, normal operation of the typewriter is not affected. It is, for this reason, possible to use the device of my invention in connection with any length of typewriter carriage.

It is also important to note that the line to be justified may start at any point along the carriage. In catalogue work, for example, it is frequently found that pictorial illustrations are placed on the sheet and that it is desired to place the typed column at the right of such illustration. It is, in such cases, merely required to set the left margin stop at the desired point, then to return the carriage until stopped thereagainst, and to repeat the operation as above outlined.

Where more than one column is to be placed on one sheet, the preferred practice is to type one column at a time and, as just suggested, to set the marginal sto for each succeeding column. But at no time is the construction, adjustment, or method of operation of my device changed.

It was above stated that the device, as here presented, is designed to justify over fifty five spaces. But it is important to note that it may justify over much shorter distances without in any way changing the construction thereof, or performing any additional operation, or resorting to any mental calculations, but merely to alter the position of the cord 30. It was above stated that notches Ill are out into the cover flange. It

is now noticed that a scale 35, showing graduations from twenty five to fifty five is placed above these notches, and it is to be noted that the numbered graduations of this scale correspond to the similarly numbered graduations of the lower platen scale of the typewriter. Further to explain this, it is found that the device will Justify over thirty spaces when the cord is passed through the notch nearest the mark 30 on the scale 35, whereupon it is drawn taut and fastened in the clip 29. When it is desired to justify over forty five spaces of the printing line, the cord is drawn through the notch nearest forty five on correspond to the difference in letter space movement of the carriage. As above stated, the device as illustrated is designed for pica letter only covers ten spaces, it follows that the margin the scale 35, and so forth. The notches are.

It is important to note that the location of the point 3i from which the cord 30 extends, the

length of the justifying lever and its angular movement, as well as the position of the notches It", all are carefully calculated correctly to effect justification over a desired number of letter spaces.

It is familiar to those versed in the art that the letter space movement of the carriage is fixed to match the width of type used by the adoption of an escapement rack of the corresponding linear pitch. In a ica type machine, for instance, the carriage covers ten spaces in each one inch of travel and it is to be noted that the linear pitch of the escapement rack as illustrated in the drawings is that used for such pica type letter spacing. Furthermore that the spacing of the notches 20? and the swinging movement of the justifying lever both are designed to justimy correctly over ten pica spaces. In an elite type machine, the travel is shortened to tentwelfth of an inch for each ten spaces traveled, and so forth. The commercially well known Vary-Typer machine is even made with an escapement mechanism which is adjustable to rovide two or more different lengths of letter spacing to accommodate the interchangeable type plates used in this machine. The device of my invention may be used on any one of such machines without altering its construction or operation. It is merely required to adjust the length of swinging movement of the justifying lever to will not be uniformly justified. It therefore becomes necessary, unless the spaces of the notches is correspondingly shortened and their number correspondingly increased, to arrest the swinging movement of the lever at the end of, the ten space justification.

Illustrative of such lever movement adjustment, I show a series of perforations W in the top of the cover, and these perforations are shaped to receive a stud 40, see Fig. 9. When these perforations are correctly spaced, it is merely required to place the stud in the proper perforation, whereupon the operation of the device proceeds in the manner above out1ined. But in actual practice, this lever movement control is placed beneath the cover, so as to leave the to of the cover clear and unobstructed.

It was above stated that the device may be attached to the carriage of the various commercially known typewriters without changing the construction thereof. It is, however, necessary to modify the adapter to fit the carriage of the particular machine selected. This may be done by placing perforations in the adapter to suit all such machines, but it is, for the sake of simplicity, Preferred to design an adapter for each particular make of machine. It is also found that the location of the escapement rack differs, and it is for this reason preferable to provide in the flange [4 of the slide 14, holes correctly positioned to register with the rack extension of the various makes of machines. To illustrate this arrangement, holes are placed in the flange to indicate approximately the position taken by the rack extension of some of the better known typewriters.

While it is one of the important features of the invention that the device is attachable to the various commercially known machines, it is important to note that it may as readily be built into the carriage of any one of such typewriters to form a permanent part thereof. For the purposes of this specification, the device is therefore considered to be part of the carriage or attachable to the carriage of such machines.

The device of the invention, as shown in the drawings, is proportioned to justify up to ten spaces, and this is found sufiicient under all ordinary conditons. It is, however, a verysimple matter to change the proportions to justify up to a greater number of spaces, if desired. This may be done by increasing the sliding movement of the member 22 and placing additional notches in the lever 20, to correspond thereto.

The letter space movement of a typewriter, as well known to those familiar with the art, is usually effected by means of a spring drum from which a draw band extends to the carriage, and this band exerts a constant pull on the carriage in one direction, thereby to favor movement of the justifying lever and of the member 22 thereon in one direction more than in the other. This unbalanced condition may, however, readily be evened up by extending a spring 45 from the slide flange M to the inner end of the member 22.

In all justifying devices which have come to my attention, as well as in my said copending application, are provided cams of various sizes and shapes, which are adjustable, often upon extended ment'al calculation, to produce results which, by means of the simple cord 30, may be I it is merely required to unloosen the cord from the clip 29 and to leave it hang loose. The cord will function in connection with longer or shorter carriages in the same manner and with equal ease and, when worn, costs practically nothing to replace. Where other devices must be correctly positioned on the typewriter in order to function properly, the cord will do its work perfectly even when the parts are considerably out of line.

- move the rack on'the carriage, means for ad- And, most of all, the simple operation of the device remains unchanged under all conditions.

The drawings are merely illustrative of the invention, and no attention is paid to correct proportions or such mechanical refinements as come within the province of the engineer competent to construct the device in accordance with the spirit of the invention. And I wish to reserve the right to embody such modifications and improvements as will come within the scope of the claims hereto appended.

I claim:

.1. In a line justifying device for a typewriter having a carriage and an escapement rack on and movable longitudinally relative tosaid carriage, a justifying lever on the carriage, connections from said lever to said rack to move the latter on the carriage responsive. to lever movement, and lever movement control means comprising a member extendabie from the typewriter frame to a predetermined position on the carriage and operativelyconnectable with the lever intermediate the frame and carriage.

2. In a line justifying device fora typewriter having a carriage and an escapement rack on and longitudinallymova-ble relative to said carriage a justifying lever pivotally mounted on and laterally extending from said carriage, connections from said lever to said rack to move the latter on the carriage in response to lever movement, and lever movement control means comprising a member extendabie from the typewriter frame over the laterally projecting end of the lever to a predetermined position on the carriage.

3. In a line julstifying device for a typewriter having a carriage and an escapement rack mounted on and longitudinally movable relative to said carriage, a justifying lever pivotally mounted on and laterally extending from the carriage, a pulley at the outer end of the lever, connections from the lever to move the rack on the carriage I in response to lever movement, and

lever movement control means extendabie from the typewriter frame over said pulley to a predetermined position on the carriage.

justing said connections to vary said rack movement, a flexible member extendabie from the typewriter frame over said pulley, the free end of the member being manually operable to swing the lever to the opposite limit of its movement against the tension of said resilient means'to set the lever for justification, and means for securing the free end of the member in position on the carriage upon completion of said manual operation to maintain the lever in set position until gradually released in response to letter space movement of the carriage.

5. In a line justifying device for a typewriter having a carriage and an escapement rack on and movable longitudinally relative to said carriage, a justifying lever on the carriage, connections from said lever to said rack to move the latter on the carriage responsive to lever movement, and lever movement control means comprising a flexible cord having one end attached to the typewriter frame and the other end attachable tothe carriage at a predetermined point thereof, said cord being operatively connectable with the lever intermediate its ends.

6. In a line justifying device for a typewriter having a carriage and an escapement rack on and longitudinally movable relative to said carriage, a justifying lever pivotally mounted on and, laterally extending from said carriage, connections from said lever to said rack to move the latter on the carriage in response to lever movement, and lever movement control means comprising a flexible member yieldingly anchored in the typewriter frame, a pulley on the free end of said lever over which said member is bent, and a series of receptacles in the carriage into any one of which the end of the memher is attachable thereby to determined the extent of swinging movement of the lever.

7. In a line justifying device for a typewriter having a carriage and an escapement rack on and longitudinally movable relative to the carriage comprising, a justifying lever mounted for oscillation on said carriage, means operatively interconnecting said lever with the said rack to I move the latter relative to the carriage in response to lever oscillations, and means extendable from the typewriter frame and bendable over the free end of said lever and then attachable to the carriage for controlling oscillating movement of the lever during letter space movement of the carriage.

8. In a line justifying device for a typewriter having a carriage and an escapement rack on and longitudinally movable relative to the carriage, a justifying lever on the carriage, means associated with said lever and connected to move said rack in response to movement of the lever, a member freely extending from the typewriter frame and attachable to the carriage to form a direct interconnection therebetween, said member being connectable with the end of the lever to control movement thereof during letter space movement of the carriage, and receiving means on the carriage having a series of receptacles into any one of which the free end of the said member is lodged in attaching the member to the carriage, thereby to vary the relation of the member to the lever for the purpose of controlling the length of the justifying period of the carriage travel.

9. For attachment to a typewriter having a carriage and an escapement rack on and mov able relative to said'carriage, a justifying lever pivotally mounted on the carriage, resilient means urging said lever in one direction, connections from the lever to move said rack on the carriage in response to lever movement, and a flexible member extendable from the typewriter frame over the end of said lever and attachable to the carriage in a predetermined position, the member being drawn taut in atpivotally mounted on the carriage, resilient means urging said lever in one direction, connections from the lever to move said rack on the carriage in response to lever movement, and a flexible member extendable from the typewriter frame over the end 01' the lever and attachable to the carriage in a predetermined position thereon, the member being drawn taut in attaching to the carriage thereby to swing the lever in the opposite direction and to cause the end of the lever to lodge in the bight oi the member, letter spacing of the carriage causing the member gradually to slacken and said resilient member gradually to return the lever to its initial position and in returing to move the escapement rack a predetermined number of letter spaces, the rate of letter space movement of the rack being determined by the angle formed between the ends of the'member as it is bent over the end of the lever in extending the memher to its position on the carriage.

11. In combination with a typewriter having its' escapement rack mounted for longitudinal movement on its carriage, a justifying lever pivoted on said carriage, resilient means urging said lever in one direction, a member on the lever, an element on said member operatively connected to move said rack, said member being slidable on the lever to move said element from one side of the lever fulcrum into registration therewith and to the opposite side thereof, thereby to move the rack in one direction in response to lever movement, to maintain the rack stationary on the carriage while the element remains in registration with the lever fulcrum, and to move the rack in the opposite direction when the element is moved to the other side of the fulcrum, auxiliary resilient means between the carriage and the said member assisting the first named resilient means while the element is on one side of the lever fulcrum but opposing it when the element is shifted to the other side of the fulcrum, and flexible means extendable from the typewriter frame to the carriage :tor 

